Improvement in pipe-tongs



A. A. PEAS-E.

PIPE-Twas.

Patented Ian. 25,1876.

Maya

N.FF.TERS. PHOTD-LITHOGRAPHER, WASX'HNGTON. D C.

jaw.

ATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. PEASE, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

HMPROVEMENT IN PlPE-TONGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,649, dated January25, 1876; application filed November 16, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. PEASE, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inPipe-Tongs; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.and which said drawings constitute part of this specification andrepresent, iii- Figure 1, side view; Fig. 2, adjustable jaw detached;Fig. 3, the locking-collar detached; Figs. 4. and 5, detached views ofthe pivot.

This invention relates to an improvement in the instrument known aspipe-tongs that is to say, tongs by which pipe or cylindrical bodies maybe easily turned, as for screwing together or otherwise, the objectbeing to construct the tongs so that a single pair will be adjustable toa great variety of sizes of pipe; and it consists in constructing onejaw with two or more series of pivot-bearings, so that thisadjustablejaw may be readily set at different relative positions to theother jaw, to increase or diminish the extent of the opening of thejaws, as the case may be; also, in an automatic or self-closing collarto secure the two parts together, which said collar is applicable toother purposes, all as more fully hereinafter described.

A is the principal, and B the adjustable, The pivot O is set through aperforation, or made fast in the principaljaw. The adjustablejaw B isconstructed with a series of per forations, a, more or less in number,and so that either will pass over the pivot C, and form a bearing, uponwhich thejaws will move as a fulcrum. The pivot is preferablyconstructed with a projecting lug, I), on one side, as seen in Fig. 4,and the perforations through the adjustable jaw with a correspondingenlargement, 01, so that when placed over the pivot, and the pivotor'jaw turned to bring the lug to either side from the enlargement,thejaw will be retained; but, instead of this lug and enlargement, thepivot may be made, as seen in Fig. 5, with an annular groove,substantially flush with the surface of the adjustable jaw when the twoare set together. In

that case the enlargement for the perforations will not be necessary.

Thus constructed, the aperture between the jaws is varied by setting thefulcrum to different perforations-as, for instance, changing from theposition in Fig. l to the one directly behind it, the face of the jawswill be brought into the relative position indicated in broken lines. adifferent variation; but this illustration is sufficient to theunderstanding of the method of adjustment.

To secure the adjustable jaw upon its fulcrum, and yet allow of its easyremoval, the collar (shown detached in Fig. 3) is employed. Thisconsists in a collar made in two parts, D and E, with a recess, 0, inthe center, and the meeting ends of the two parts at one side arebeveled, as at f, in toward the recess. These two parts are united by aspring, F, encircling the two, the tendency of which is to hold the twoparts freely together, but yet so as to allow the endsfto be separated.The collar thus constructed is pressed over the pivot in the annularrecess or beneath the lug, as the case may be, until the recess 6encircles the pivot, the parts being forced together around the pivot bythe spring F. To separate the jaws, it is only necessary to open theparts of the collar, and remove it from the pivot. As a convenience forthus operating the collar, each part is provided with a stud or handle,Gr. This collar, while specially adapted to these improved tongs, isapplicable to many other similar uses.

1 do not broadly claim a pipe-wrench having one jaw adjustable relativeto the other by certain fixed perforations through both, as such, I amaware, is not new.

' I claim- 1 The combination of the two jaws A B, each formed upon, andso as to be operated by, its own independent handle, one constructedwith two or more series of pivot-bearings, the said pivot forming thefulcrum upon which the two handles and their jaws Work, substantially asdescribed, and for the purpose of adjusting the jaws relatively to eachother.

2. The collar consisting of the two parts I) and E, united by the springF, and with an opening, f, to the space in the center, substantially asand for the purpose described.

ALBERT A. PEASE. Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE,

CLARA BRoUeHToN.

Set to otherpositions makes

